The training aimed to provide resources on antisemitism to student-facing staff at UM-Dearborn, while equipping staff with actionable steps to combat antisemitism on campus.
On Thursday, April 20, Hillel of Metro Detroit (HMD) hosted a virtual antisemitism training in partnership with the ADL and University of Michigan – Dearborn’s student affairs staff.
HMD’s Executive Director Miriam Starkman and Associate Director Brittany Begun attended, as well as Amy Finley, UM-Dearborn’s dean of students, and Shareia Carter, director at the Center for Social Justice and Inclusion.
The training aimed to provide resources on antisemitism to student-facing staff at UM-Dearborn, while equipping staff with actionable steps to combat antisemitism on campus. Additionally, it was HMD’s goal to foster a relationship between the three organizations and provide a deeper level of context on Jewish student backgrounds and antisemitism.
Michigan native Ryan Woloshin led the program. Woloshin, associate director of Antisemitism Programs for the ADL, regularly presents to community organizations and colleges.
He began by providing the ADL’s definition for antisemitism, as well as a brief history of Jews around the world. Woloshin highlighted intersectionality and Jewish identity. Ashkenazim, Mizrachim, Sephardim, Beta Israel and Bene Israel Jews were all included in these slides, as Woloshin aimed to broaden the typical lens through which many view Jews.
Woloshin then facilitated an in-depth discussion on historical antisemitism both internationally and in the Metro Detroit area (featuring, most prominently, Dearborn). While he brought up well-known examples of antisemitism, Woloshin was also careful to include other instances, such as Henry Ford’s antisemitic weekly publication, The Dearborn Independent, and his series of pamphlets, The International Jew: The World’s Foremost Problem.
Woloshin also provided tangible resources for the UM-Dearborn staff on further education and student support.
After the presentation, Woloshin, along with the 20+ staff members, participated in a short Q&A. He provided a quick tour of the resources section on the ADL website and provided his personal suggestions for resources to be used in and out of the classroom.
Hillel of Metro Detroit wants to extend our gratitude to Ryan Woloshin, the ADL and the student affairs staff at UM-Dearborn. We look forward to partnering further with UM-Dearborn and the ADL and feel optimistic about the collaborative efforts to combat antisemitism on the UM-Dearborn campus, along with all the schools HMD serves.
If you would like to learn more about HMD’s work with the ADL or how to access resources to combat antisemitism on our Metro Detroit campuses, contact LeahB@hillel-detroit.org.
Leah Burian is a program associate at Hillel of Metro Detroit.